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Thursday, February 19, 2015

Faculty Interview: Josh Vogt

Compiled by Jason Henry

Are you excited? We certainly are! Why shouldn't we be? The 2015 Pikes Peak Writers Conference is just around the corner! It has been an absolute pleasure recruiting the incredible faculty that we have lined up for you this year and the workshops they will be teaching are proving to be just as amazing.

Pikes Peak Writers Conference is known as one of the best and friendliest conferences for many reasons. One of those reasons is that we provide as many opportunities as possible to not only learn from our faculty, but to get to know them. Keeping in the spirit of that very statement, we interviewed all of our faculty members to get inside their heads just a little. Really, we don't see the point in waiting until April. Do you?

Over the weeks to come, we will be posting those interviews along with the responses right here on the PPW Blog. Be sure to check in on Facebook and Twitter as well! We hope you enjoy reading these brief Q&As as much as we have!

Josh Vogt (Author, Colorado)

1. What are the most compelling elements you feel are necessary for a good read?

A character or premise that tackles a genre concept in a truly unique way. I'm also a sucker for good banter and fight scenes.2. What do you see as the pleasures and difficulties of being a writer/artist in today's world?

As a writer, two of the things I see as difficult are audience traction (ye ol' exposure and marketing), and managing the administrative side of the business, since I freelance full-time. The pleasures? A great amount of personal freedom in my schedule, being able to actually write for a living, meeting other authors and peers, and simply the chance to help my imagination thrive.

3. What is the best career/writing advice someone has given you?

Persist. That is often what makes the real difference in this kind of career. And in the craft, also persist, because you don't ever improve unless you keep trying.

4. Would you pass that same advice on or alter it?

Definitely pass it on. And I would add that it's okay to take breaks sometime. It's often a balance of working hard and knowing when to give yourself breathing space.

5. What do you love most about your career?

I'm rarely bored! Honestly, the sheer variety of clients I work with and projects I've tackled is a little daunting if I think on it for too long.

6. What is something you wish everyone knew (or didn't know) about you?

Please send checks or money orders to the following address...kidding! I'm a sucker for jelly beans and drink way too much diet soda.

7. Which fictional character do you relate to the most, and why? What character would your friends/family pick for you?

I'd like to say Bilbo Baggins, in many ways. Or just hobbits in general. A great love of food, drink, friends, and home with a deeper yearning for the occasional adventure. I'd say they'd see me much the same way (as in high school, my room was often referred to as my 'hobbit hole').

Quick Qs:

Pen or Keyboard? Keyboard. I type far faster than I ever write longhand.

Plotter or Pantser? Definite plotter. The more I outline ahead of time, the faster drafts go.

Book or E-Book? Either, but I've been reading more ebooks lately due to space and convenience when traveleing.

Spicy or Mild? Spicy!

Sunrise or Sunset? Sunset. The morning and I are mortal foes.

Mister Rogers or Sesame Street? The Muppets.

Facebook or Twitter? I mostly interact on Twitter, except for specific Facebook groups.

A full-time freelance writer and editor, Josh Vogt has sold numerous stories to Paizo’s Pathfinder Tales, Grey Matter Press, the UFO2 & UFO3 anthologies, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and Shimmer, among others. His work comes in everything from flash fiction to short stories to novellas to doorstopper novels, and is found in a growing variety of genres, such as fantasy, science fiction, humor, horror, and pulp. His debut fantasy novel, Forge of Ashes, is available as of April 2015.

He also writes for a variety of RPG developers and publishers, producing game manuals and sourcebooks, campaigns and adventure modules, worldbuilding materials and tie-in fiction. He’s a member of SFWA as well as the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. As a copywriter, Josh works with a roster of international clients, developing website copy, advertising, marketing, and ales content, video/audio scripts, social media campaigns, and much more. You can find him at JRVogt.com or @JRVogt.”

Pikes Peak Writers

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